The late David Charlton, founder and CEO of David’s Salon, built one of the Philippines’ most recognized salon chains not just with skill and vision — but with a mindset rooted in reality.
Charlton, a British-trained hairstylist who made the Philippines his home, was known for his technical expertise. But behind the scissors was a leader who understood something many in customer service struggle with: you can’t please everyone.
“In reality, all over the world, no matter how good you are as a hairdresser, there is always somebody who is never going to like you,” Charlton once said.
Instead of chasing perfection, Charlton taught his staff to focus on what they could control. His rule? Aim for 60 to 70 percent customer retention. Because out of every 10 clients, he explained, four were simply not coming back — and that’s okay.
He broke it down:
One customer might dislike your voice, your look, or even your clothes.
Another might be a tourist, never planning to return anyway.
A third might be turned off by something as simple as the color of the salon.
And the fourth? They just didn’t like the service, no matter how well it was delivered.
The key, he told his team, was to let go of those four — and focus on keeping the other six happy.
This mindset helped David’s Salon expand across the country with hundreds of branches and a loyal customer base. Charlton empowered his team not to chase approval, but to deliver consistent service to those who came back.
The takeaway:
David Charlton built a beauty empire by facing rejection head-on. He didn’t try to win everyone — just the right ones. And in doing so, he left behind a legacy of honest leadership, grounded expectations, and service that speaks for itself.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
